Sugar is a popular topic in nutrition discussion. Sugar goes unnoticed in the diet more than any other fat-building substance that causes hormonal and neurological chemistry imbalances, overall health detriment, and unwanted weight gain, and more.

Increased consumption of sugar may lead to negative and/or adverse effects on health, such as:

Contributes to overgrowth of candida, a fungal infection in the intestines, mouth, and skin

May lead to addictive behavior and the urge to binge

Becoming more aware of where unnecessary sugar is contained is important to be healthier and full of life. Here is some ways to learning where and how to avoid it:

Sugar alcohols: not sugar, not alcohol. They are carbohydrates with structures that only resemble sugar and alcohol, and are considered nutritive sweeteners because they provide fewer calories when consumed. The list includes isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, HSH, erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol.

Avoid all artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners belong to the non-nutritive additives in food, and are chemically over-processed. In the United States, sweeteners fall under the “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) list or as food additives under the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Drink more water. Increasing water consumption will help the body stay hydrated and there is no sugar calories involved. Limiting the juice consumption to one 6oz.-8oz. glass a day is a great option.

Make your own food at home. Eating out does not allow you as much control about what ingredients are used. Also, choose your restaurants wisely where the quality of the food and ingredients healthy.

Prepare your own salad dressings and sauces. An simple dressing can be prepared with olive oil, vinegar, lemon, salt, and pepper. If eating out, ask for the dressing on the side or for just olive oil and vinegar.

Watch your portion sizes. If you eat out regularly for work or social reasons, book your meals at restaurants where you know the portion sizes are small or only eat half of your meal and save the rest for later.

Functional medicine, an overall system approach to dis-ease, looks for the root of a problem by evaluating nutrition and environmental exposure to toxins and utilizing appropriate functional laboratory assessments. Metametrix Clinical Laboratory is one of the best in the field and is conveniently located in Atlanta for my patients.

Vitamin D, also called the “sunshine vitamin,” is both a hormone and a vitamin, manufactured in the body upon exposure to sunshine. Two biologically inactive precursors – D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol) are transformed in the liver and kidneys. Vitamin D is essential for the regulation of serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase, and thus helps to produce and maintain bone. It has also been associated with the prevention of certain cancers, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and osteoporosis, as well as recent evidence that it leads to significant reductions in body fat mass (read more on the study here).

Since vitamin D heavily depends on sunlight exposure, the populations in some northern countries, especially in the winter months, make little to no vitamin D on their own, meaning that the need for dietary supplementation and fortified foods is necessary to meet the need. Significant vitamin D deficiency in adults is reported to precipitate or exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, depression and other inflammatory process.

What can you do?

The recommended daily dietary allowance of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels is between 2,000-4,000 IUs. Additionally, there is a number of food sources that contain vitamin D:

It is important to consider the sources of the fish, such as fresh, wild-caught, non-farmed options!

Cod liver oil – remember to watch your sources!

Eggs – organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free

And of course, SUNSHINE, 15 minutes three times a week! Since vitamin D is manufactured in the body at the time of sun exposure, it is vital to spend time outside in order to allow for the conversion of the inactive precursor compounds into active form. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a concern in itself, but it is important to be conscientious and safe, as season, time of day, length of day, cloud cover, smog, skin melanin content, and sunscreen are among the factors that affect UV radiation exposure and vitamin D synthesis.